We have danced around the issue for quite some time, but nothing beats having the official word (or endorsement) to confirm (or deny) what we have already suspected. As it turns out, Google has unintentionally confirmed that the next Android release will go by the name of Ice Cream Sandwich after sending off an email about various bugfixes in the Linux-based operating system for smartphones and tablets.

It has long been speculated that the first version of the Android operating system to be released after Honeycomb will be named after the ice-cold dessert that many people from all over the world know and love, and for good reason. After all, hints about an ice cream-based release have been dropped by various developers working on the operating system, and ice cream does start with the letter 'I'. Which, as we all know, is directly after that of Honeycomb's 'H'.

And as it turns out, it seems that the speculations were correct after all, for an internal email sent by Android developer Romain Guv has essentially confirmed what everybody had been suspecting all this while; that the next version of Android will indeed be known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

Unfortunately, little else about Ice Cream Sandwich has been revealed save for the information that had been previously announced months ago: that Ice Cream Sandwich will feature the 'best of both worlds' by incorporating elements of both Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Also, word has it that Ice Cream Sandwich will be the first version of Android that is designed to work well with both smartphones and tablets with larger displays, but we shall wait for the final build to be released before making any judgements. That being said, we cannot help but feel the need to satisfy a certain craving for ice cream right now…